Troubles With A 828, Checking Other Interfaces, I Need Help/advice. Options

[deadend228]

In February I bought a g5 iMac. I use reason and ableton live. I also got a MOTU 828mkII from a friend for a VERY good price. However, for the three months that I had it I couldn't get any kind of response from it. I consider myself to be very entry level as far as digital recording goes. Anyway, I got tired of trying to get the mkII to work and refunded it with him. Now I'm looking at getting another interface. I need something to record a guitar direct and also to record vocals and an acoustic guitar through a microphone. I've read the reviews on have major problems with drivers and whatnot. I've even considered just buying a Fostex mr8 or even an analog multitrack cassette recorder, but I've already invested so much into my mac that it would seem like a waste to not utilize it, but I'm becoming very aggravated with trying to get things to work in sync. I need advice on M-Audio or Presonus interfaces. I've been thinking about getting a Firebox. Also, should I consider getting a mixer? At this point my aggravation level has couded my mind and I cannot put forth any constructive thought towards my problem. I just want to record folk/singer songwriter kinds of things and also record my guitar direct to put with things I do in reason to have a post-rock mogwai sort of thing.

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[zooot]

I think you should try to get a motu 828. they work great.

[deadend228]

If you read my post again, you'll see that I did, indeed, get a MOTU 828. And it did not work great.

[mortalengines]

I really like my Mackie Onyx 1220 & it is quite literally a plug & play device. You just follow the directions that come with the unit & plug it in & go. I don't know if the mixer is really necessary in retrospect. Mackie has a couple of variations now (the 400 & some portable unit whose name escapes me at the moment) & I would probably get one of them now. The 1220 is a 12 channel mixer with a firewire option & at the time I wanted to produce bands. Making my own music has gotten in the way of that idea & I usually work with one or two other people at the most (and not very often either, to be honest). The mixer has come in handy for some routing things here at home between my PC & my Mac & also as a monitor for preparing for my live shows but that's about it. Hope this helps. I will also say that for whatever it's worth, I haven't had a SINGLE problem with my mixer or the firewire card in the year that I've had it.

[Airearts]

both m-audio and presonus at their lower end(cost wise) should serve your
needs well. Do yourself a favor and check out RME's interfaces, their fireface
series while pricey,are subjectively some of best sounding units around.

you may really end up regreting an all in one recorder,as you find you've
bumped up against it's feature set in about a week.

[mikestatic]

I am a MOTU 828 user, so I may not be of much help

I was using a Tascam US-122 for mobile stuff with no issue, now I have a lil' M-Audio Fast Track USB box that I've got nothing but good to say about. I've had other M-Audio gear (controllers, etc...) and they have all worked seamlessly with a Mac or PC for that matter. I don't think you can go wrong with M-Audio.

My $0.02...

[lepetitmartien]

The 828 has issues, the mkII too but it can be reseted (check the manual). A 828 mkII not behaving properly still after a reset should be looked after by MOTU.

Just my 2 cents on the 828

[Mac Daddy]

Saw a RME Multiface in the Forum Classified. 250 Euros... Best price ever. New they "Used" to cost almost a Thousand... New in Germany today they cost about 600 Euros... If you need a serious dependble built like a Tank unit, if it's still there get it!

[rickenbacker]

How much money do you have? Metric Halo ULN-2 or 2882 are hard to beat. I heart ULN-2.

[Mac Daddy]

Mortalengines you have an Onxy! Take one of those over an iPod anyday! First extra cash... I'm getting one too! From the sounds of things you're in love? Mackie Rules. Reputation. I'm still saving to get an Extension and C4 for my Universal...

lepetitmartien is in da house again... Our fearless leader returns!!! Now I can stop adding my "Tree fifdy" ($3.50... Is a South Park, 2 cents worth)

Anyone wanna buy Virtual Guitarist and Virtual Guitarist Electric Edition? Works with VST... I'm told there is a way to make it work in OSX, but it is not working for me. The 2 Programs are using almost 3 G's of my HD and I'm getting "zero" sound... Going to Upgrade to the New, Improved and on Steriods Virtual Guitarist... Half price or Buy One, Get One Free...

When I first heard VG I purchased it after cleaning up "real" Guitar Tracks... Never again... I'll use MIDI Guitar in the Studio and Real Guitar on Stage... VG Sounds better than a real Guitar. Pure. Clean. In Tune. No 'Amp Hum'. No Broken Strings. No Arguments. Never Late. No Bathroom Breaks... Plus, VG won't hit on your woman/man or borrow money or bum cigarettes... Or as you English say: "Bum a fag" Would not dare utter a remark. Dem English sho talks good... I mean; Speak Well.

[deadend228]

I reset my 828 several times. I also went through the uninstall and reinstall procedure over and over again for about 3 months. I couldn't send my model to MOTU because I bought it from a friend and didn't have it registered or under warranty or anything like that. I really wanted it so that once i learned how to use it i could make professional sounding recordings, rather than getting something i would just grow out of. but it just got to the point where it was a huge headache and i was spending all of my time trying to get it to work instead of working on music.

I'm looking to spend under $400.

The interfaces I was looking at were the Presonus Firebox, M-Audio Fast Track Pro, M-Audio Firewire Solo, and the Mackie Spike. I've read good and bad reviews for both. Crack and pops aren't that big of a deal to me because I want to go with a warm, Lo-Fi analog sound rather than a cold crisp clean digital sound. I just want something that won't have too many problems with noise and will pretty much be plug and play. Ease of use is my main concern. I dont want to spend more time trying to get things confired that i do actually working on music. I know that cables are usually an issue as well, and I use mogami silver series cables for everything. So I shouldn't have any problems with those.

[jce44]

Hey Mr. deadend, I empathize (deeply) with you. I'm struggling also to figure out hardware, software, connections, my Mac G4 system, upgrades, digital sound technology, compatibilities,... it can be very "whelming" and frustrating! I have an > average IQ, but struggle to put my music on CD. My home studio has been 2 years in the making, I'm "old" and running out of time. But if I can do it, you can too.

So hang in there! If you've got music to do, it will come. Keep it simple at first, and build step by step.

I “hear” from your post that you’re new to digital recording, you’re frustrated, and you already spent a lot of money on your Mac.
You say that you need to record 3 inputs? (May I assume, at the same time?) Two guitars, (one of which is mic'd), and one mic for vocals? So then! Two microphones and one electric guitar. It IS easier to lay down one stereo track (it may take several tries to get a good "take"), than it is to try to put 3 different tracks together, after recording them separately? It depends on which area of expertise is your STRENGTH or weakness? Software or hardware? If you USE Reason or Ableton, does that mean you're experienced in the software applications?

Firewire interfaces to your computer are the best consideration. Latency or time lag is the reason why. If you research the recording, manufacturer's and music web sites, you'll find many interfaces capable of connecting to your IMac G5 that will allow you to make those 3 instrument/mic connections, and get your sound into your computer. You don't mention your IMac configuration? How much RAM and what OS are you running? If you have 256 MB of RAM, you’ll need to add more.

Some of the software that comes with that firewire interface, (or available separately), will also allow you to tweak the recorded audio signal. Or, if you get a good recording from the start that needs no tweaking, just send it on to a "bounce", or ITunes, and then burn your CD.

There's so many different ways to do this, that most people simply can't reply to your general question. Yes, you can get a firewire mixer to do this. There's many that are compatible with your system. After many months of research, I bought a Mackie 1220 with firewire. I love it, but it’s ex$pensive (to me), and there’s so much to learn along with Tracktion, the software that comes with it,

Or you can get an audio mixer, and a firewire interface, and then to your computer. The opportunities are endless. Do you have moniters? Or a good set of headphones?

My advice? Change your handle. "deadend" is not where you're going. (just kidding!) But please do some more research. Try

http://www.tweakheadz.com/guide.htm

and after reading that guide, (3 or 4 times is what it took me!), you might understand WHY-

1.) Most people won't tell what's the "best" equipment to buy. There's too many choices, depending on what you want to do and what your system is and what your expectations are... It’s kinda like buying a car. If you only need to get back & forth to work and save gas,… you don’t need a Porsche. But if you need to haul lumber, a Volkswagon won’t work either!

2.) You really can make your own choices, based on your level of experience and needs. A friendly salesperson, at a local music store (during off hours), can be a good resource for questions, showing you how to hook up, and if they have computers for sale, they can even show you some of the software apps.

3). If you're considering a PARTICULAR choice, (of hardware or software), ask for opinions from people who have the same setup and expectations or recording needs that you have.

Please don't get frustrated. We don't want to miss out on what you have to offer the musical world.

It's taken me 2 years, upgrades to my ol' PowerMac G4, tons of research and learning... And I only have 5 songs written that I want to record and get copywrited, and a small group of friends and family to record wit & for.

PHHHHT!

What are you complainin' 'bout!

Your Mac will do it. Take some time to find out how.

BTW! What's up with the 440 Forum? Half the time I can't even access it recently>

[aportman]

I have been using an M-Audio Delta 1010 for about 4 years. I guess overall it has been a pretty reliable interface on the audio side, but it has never been stable on the midi side. I have tried every thing in the world in an attempt to stablize the midi capability, but continues to result in very poor conisitency. I finally gave up and use an external midi (M-Audio) inferface, which is stable as rock.

That is very strange that you would have the kinds of problems that you experienced with the Motu 828. I used to have 2 of the units running on a G4 desk top unit and they were rock solid. I ended up selling for because I needed the funds.

Allen

[Mac Daddy]

jce44 we seem to be travelling the same road... You've gotta spend time if you want the results...

[Sancheezy]

M-audio is has great stuff, but the 4x4 interface they have does not work with the macG5. As a bassist 12-er owner, I thought it's quarter inch inputs were great! Sadly, it just so happens that there is a battery on the card you install that doesnt agree (i dont know the mhz specs just check m-audios web) or screws with something ONLY on the G5's port(?). Like I said, I dont know the exact problem with the 4x4 and the G5 or if there are any other programs\hardware m-audio and the g5 has problems with.Just my knickles worth...or tree fiddy.